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The Rise of Tolerance: A Few against Many

There is no doubt that we live in a time where it is becoming increasingly dangerous to admit that you are a Christian, even in what we call the “freest country in the world.”

The United States of America is certainly not the nation that boasts the most freedom, but we certainly do have freedom.. Don’t we?

As we see things taking a turn in the direction of tolerance, we can also see a definite and undeniable shift in the way that the children of God are viewed by those who are outside of the faith. Part of this is due to the hypocrisy of those who say that they are Christian, but do not live as though they are, and part of it is because of drastic and clear differences between the ways of God and the ways of the world.

In this post I want to focus on the latter of the two. I have spent a lot of time lately writing about hypocrisy, though I have not written much about the affect that it has on those outside of the faith as well as those who are of the faith; acting as a wedge to drive them away, but I have written about the thing itself and I certainly will not stand for it. Of course, we must also understand that there are those who genuinely seek the Lord and who do their utmost to maintain a righteous lifestyle, I’m not saying that there are none who do. To those, I say, keep the faith!

Looking at the other side of the coin however, the ways of God truly are contrary to the world and vice versa. This is a reality that is not new to us, though now we are seeing a dramatic change in intensity of the way that the world reacts to the ways of God. The rise of the LGBT movement, along with the fad that is identification — with people identifying as everything from man to woman, or even elf and dragon — as well as many other things, it has become “hateful” to speak against this ignorance; even to the point that people are not only speaking out against those who are seen as “intolerant,” but they even take civil action against us, and worse!

Of course, in their eyes, if a Christian baker does not want to bake a cake for a homosexual couple because they don’t want any part of the abomination well that is just absolutely unbelievable; it’s hateful, prejudice and an open act of violence against someone’s liberties! However, Muslims are free to refuse to do the very same without repercussion, because let’s face it they certainly don’t hate anyone!

DING, DING, DING! Fun fact time! Actually, Muslim countries hang people who live in homosexual relationships, pour acid on the faces of women who are too beautiful, and basically sell off their children by forcing them to marry men two and even three times their own age. DON’T tell the millennials!! Their heads may explode in outrage over your use of facts!

I’m not one to care, really. You want to hate me on account of my faith, hate me. You want to take civil action against me for denying to have any part in your abominations, feel free. You want to persecute, judge, slander, physically harm, or throw verbal insults at me, do what you must; homosexuality is still wrong! No matter how hard you can hit, there are still only two genders! Say the worst possible things that you can, abortion is still murder! Do your worst, men are still men and women are still women; nothing you do will change that fact! No matter what you say or do, sin is still sin!

On the other hand, I see so many Christians get bent out of shape at the events that are taking place in the world, and I am honestly dumbfounded.. Have you read the Bible? We are actually told, in exact detail in many cases, precisely what is going to happen. We quite literally knew this was coming! Why act so surprised, hurt, or torn over things that the book you say you live by told you were going to happen? You should have been preparing for this!

Make no mistake, it will get worse as time progresses. Of course, if a homosexual couple walks up to the door of your church you can still say “no.” They may very well flutter away, offended, and try to take civil action but why should we fear persecution? We were told that we would be.

I understand that all of this may seem very blunt, and honestly a bit cold. I assure you that it is not! I have an earnest hope that my brothers and sisters in Christ will gladly and boldly stand firm in the faith! I will stand with you, no matter what I might face! I will defend the faith to the death, without a second thought, regardless of the opinions of anyone!

I’m sorry, why should I not have any zeal for the God that I serve? Why should it matter what anyone thinks? I don’t have time for “religion,” it has proven to be empty; only having an appearance of righteousness without actually being righteous at all! This isn’t about religion! This is about real, powerful, and actively lived faith! If standing boldly in the faith makes me a zealot, then say what you must! I would rather show passion and intensity for my faith than to stand for foolish and ignorant ideals that have absolutely no benefit aside from getting a lot of needy people some temporary attention! An eternity of life is better than 15 minutes of fame!

I mean, really! Tell me, aside from celebrities and youtubers blasting their opinions for all to see, how many people do you know that have actually gotten any attention from any of this? Well, I’m not sure that I should ask that.. It’s easy to get attention when you sue someone because they offended you.

Here’s the thing, listen up! If you are a child of God, a true God fearing Christian who strives to live a godly life, then what are you worried about? “You’re blessed when people persecute you!” and “You’re blessed when they hate you and say all sorts of evil things about you!” Again, like I said earlier, you knew this was coming if you’ve read the Word.

We have an actual duty to take a stand for the faith! Of course, we are supposed to reach out in love and kindness! There comes a time though, when love and kindness do not make a difference to the world, and intensity is needed! Seriously, when did it become wrong in the eyes of the children of God to be stern when it is necessary? Even Jesus Christ didn’t put up with ignorance! We’re actually told not to put up with it, but to shut it down and not allow it to continue!

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (2 CORINTHIANS 10:6)

This isn’t a game, guys and girls! This isn’t a play date with God! It is very real and very serious, and it should be treated as such! We can’t be lazy in the faith! We’re told to be active, living it out as an example to everyone and defending it fervently when necessary!

Why do people think it is necessary to make God look like a fluffy white rabbit who only loves and doesn’t punish anyone? Seriously, He actually says that “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (HEBREWS 10:31)

God is love, yes! He is full of grace and mercy, yes! He is compassionate and kind, absolutely! He is also a wrathful God! He is a jealous God, an angry and vengeful God! He will pour out wrath someday, that will happen; there’s no opinion that will change that, no matter how badly someone may not want to be punished for living a disobedient life because they want God to be okay with their foolishness!

Face the reality of the faith and stop making it into something that it is not because your opinions of the truth hold more value to you than the actual truth! I’m sorry, wait no I’m not.. No one should be sorry to say this, because it is the truth.. God does not care about your opinion! He demands your obedience! He is loving and merciful, full of grace, but He is still God! He will still judge, and destroy what does not obey Him! That should honestly terrify you!

There will come a time when, after all of this is done, opinions and ideals and ignorant trends of the world will burn in a sudden and violent flash of destruction and you do not want to be on the wrong side of that flame! Stop treating this like a game, and start realizing that there is an amazing and a terrible reality that will be judgment!

It is a beautiful, an amazing and wonderful thing to be able to live your life in the presence of God! Why would you fear the things that He has risen you above? Why be afraid of persecution when the God of Creation is at your side? Why worry about what other people think, when His Spirit lives in you? The power that lives in you is far greater than any power of the enemy or of this world! It’s real! You can use it, and experience it, and He gives you every ability to wield it! You have nothing to fear because nothing can stand against you!

You may speak out against the foolish things that are going on in the world, and they may take civil action or even imprison you! What can hold you? In the end, after everything fades, if you remained faithful, you will live eternal!

It is time to stop living halfhearted, double-minded, lazy lives as children of God! Do as you are commanded, be obedient! Stand up against the foolishness and the wickedness in the world, be bold and courageous! Be what you were recreated to be! Stop worrying about what other people will think about you, and say or do to you! Not even your own family has say in your salvation! That’s right, I said that! Even they should not stop you from standing up boldly in the faith!

Don’t expect the people of the world to understand! They may say that you’re a religious zealot, or a nutcase, and that you take it too seriously! So what! It IS to be taken seriously, and they cannot possibly understand because it is contrary to them!

I would be remissed, of course, if I did not say that there is a great difference between righteously standing up for the faith and doing so in the way that some churches have taken to! We are STILL supposed love our neighbor, regardless of their sin, but cast down the sin in the hopes that they might repent! You’re acting no different than the world if you run about picketing funerals and slamming others! We are told to be wise, loving, an example to them, not to be foolish and rash with no sense of self-control or restraint!

Stop looking at everything so wide-eyed and in amazement as though you did not know that this was coming, because we were very clearly and descriptively told that it was! Instead, prepare yourselves! Live obediently, and be wise! Stand boldly in the faith and don’t be afraid of anything! Above all, read the Word! Open the book and dig into it! It is the instruction manual by which we live our lives; every single thing that we are told to do, and told not do, is in there! You can’t know it if you don’t seek it, and daily!

I would love to hear your feedback! Feel free to share with me, comment, or ask for prayer requests if you need them! My love to you all, and please just open it up and learn from it! God is actually very clear on what He wants and demands! Again, my love to you all and God bless!